The department processes a range of specimens from patients including urine samples, swabs, sputum, stool and blood samples in order to diagnose infections such as urinary tract infections, pneumonia, skin and soft tissue infections and viral infections such as hepatitis and HIV. The department is also active in supporting infection prevention and control activities by providing the laboratory diagnostics for MRSA and C.difficile. As well as diagnosing infections in individual patients, the laboratory monitors patterns of infection over time and the rates of antibiotic resistance amongst pathogens such as E.coli.

The laboratory operates to a high standard and is fully accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to ISO15189:2012 (Lab ID 8755). Teaching, training, audit, research and development are all actively pursued within the department

Please note information is uncontrolled when printed.

Opening times

The department is open from 9am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday, with a limited service on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays. Outside normal hours there is an on-call service for urgent specimens and for medical microbiology advice.

Location

The laboratory is on A and B Floors in West Block at QMC. The main reception is on A Floor.

Important information

Urgent samples should be phoned through to the laboratory wherever possible. If this is not feasible, please indicate that the sample is urgent by writing it on the patient request form.